Hallucinogenic Plants: A Golden Guide

by Richard Evans Schultes, Elmer W. Smith (Illustrator)

What are hallucinogenic plants? How do they affect mind and body? Who uses them - and why? This unique Golden Guide surveys the role of psychoactive plants in primitive and civilized societies from early times to the present. The first nontechnical guide to both the cultural significance and physiological effects of hallucinogens, HALLUCINOGENIC PLANTS will fascinate general readers and students of anthropology and history as well as botanists and other specialists. All of the wild and cultivated species considered are illustrated in brilliant full color.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Plants, Drugs, Nature, Reference, Biology

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Richard Evans Schultes (SHULL-tees) (January 12, 1915 – April 10, 2001) may be considered the father of modern ethnobotany, for his studies of indigenous peoples' (especially the indigenous peoples of the Americas) uses of plants, including especially entheogenic or hallucinogenic plants (particularly in Mexico and the Amazon), for his lifelong collaborations with chemists, and for his charismatic influence as an educator at Harvard University on a number of students and colleagues who went on to write popular books and assume influential positions in museums, botanical gardens, and popular culture.

His book The Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers (1979), co-authored with chemist Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD, is considered his greatest popular work: it has never been out of print and was revised into an expanded second edition, based on a German translation by Christian Rätsch (1998), in 2001.[1]

Reviews

[Viola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jāsāk plānot dārza darbi! Izrādās, ka halucinogēnie augi ir vairāk nekā domāju. Parastais dārza tītenis un petūnija arī pieder šai augu grupai. Apsisties var arī no liela daudzuma muskatrieksta. Kopumā interesanta grāmata, bonuss ir skaistās ilustrācijas.

[Ian Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a really wonderful read. I find it to be a little deceiving that this was published as a golden guide, which I would typically have considered to be tqrgeted at adolescents or even kids. I was pleasantly surprised qt how non-patronizing the book actually was, with tons of strqight-forward information. it also did not suffer from any obvious moralizing or condescention towards the societies that use these plants. this much is obvious when it is revealed, o. the last page of the book, that the author spent fourteen years living in south America, living among the people who used these plants, in order to conduct research. now that's dedication, I even noticed lots of information that has been echoed over the years... I wonder if this is the primary source for reports of the 'soul-stealing' characteristics of datura, for example, which is reported to be used to rob tourists. another detail that floored me was the simple explanation of the chemical structure of the important tryptamines, notably diethyl and dimethyl. once it was depicted, right next to serotonin, as consisting of the same indole structure, it all became clear to me. all told, this was an excellent read, and will be an excellent reference.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I scored this rare Schultes book for five bucks. Remember the field guides you may have read as a kid that told you about insects, birds, reptiles, etc.? Well, this one offers the skinny on psychedelic plants with plenty of illustrations. Take it with you camping! Delightfully perverse and potentially useful.

[Jamie Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful artistic renditions of most psychoactive plants. There's not much to this little book other than that. It's extremely hard to find, but I managed to weasel an affordable copy.

[XcQ · Rating 4 out of 5]

wonderful illustrations!! i think that's what golden guide excels at. this hallucinogenic plants guide is also similar to other golden guides in terms of outdatedness, though. don't rely on this as a serious, up-to-date reference tool - enjoy it as a fun read, a touchstone for various psychoactive plants and fungi that you might not've heard of.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this book buried within another one, which told the story of how Schultes published this guide for the layperson and was subsequently shunned by academia. I have two other Golden Guides and this unusual one does not follow their typical format. Unfortunately, procuring a copy was expensive because it was only released once, in paperback, but I had to have it for my Vice Collection. If you ever discover a copy you can purchase, buy it even if you don't want to keep it. Most copies have held their value.

As for the content, Schultes balances the physical and chemical analysis of these plants with descriptions of their traditional cultural uses. Most plants are from Latin and South America, so I'll never encounter them in the wild, but maybe those of you in the Southwest can go hunting for a few of them.

[Nancy Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have probably read this book well over 20 times. The countless rental stamps of the sole copy of this book at my university is solid proof of how much I loved this book. I'd love to find a way to purchase my own copy. While it doesn't go through with too much detail about individual hallucinogen plants, the eye watering gorgeous illustrations themselves make this book worth it for the artwork alone.

[Ruby Rue · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a quite good introduction about hallucinogens although it's focused more into the cultural aspects of the plants than their effects. Also, as it's quite old, for the effects of many plants it's written that the effects are not yet known, but I assume that throughout this time, more research was done to find that out.

[Stephen Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but the text was pretty simplistic. As a simple starting point , it's not bad

[Birch · Rating 4 out of 5]

:D

[Ihor Kolesnyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Гарне видання не лише із ілюстраціями основних рослин, але й культурним/релігійним контекстом. Короткі довідкові статті.

[✄ sky ✄ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cool but super outdated

[Matthew Getter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange, trippy relic. I discovered this book purely by happenstance. It features the same beautiful artwork synonymous with Golden Guide books yet featuring a topic that feels topical yet still taboo in modern society. The fact that this book was published in 1976 only served to further the trippy incongruity I felt while savoring this lovely, little guide.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a neat little book. In 1976, noted Harvard researcher and pioneering ethnobotanist Richard Schultes put this book out as a "Golden Guide" (google it) to hallucinogenic plants used throughout history. From the old world to the new, this guide provides illustrations and historical backgrounds on the people who used these plants. There are descriptions of various spiritual practices and rituals associated with their use.